Bruno Sammartino’s Wife Carol Sammartino Passes Away at 96

Carol Sammartino, the wife of legendary WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino, has passed away, and her son Darryl Sammartino has now publicly confirmed the news while speaking with longtime wrestling journalist Bill Apter.

The revelation came during the Bruno Forever event, where Darryl spoke with Apter about his family and reflected on the difficult final years of his mother’s life. The family had kept the news quiet until now, but Darryl confirmed the exact date of her passing and explained how long she had been dealing with declining health.

While speaking to Bill Apter, Darryl addressed the loss directly and shared the timeline surrounding his mother’s death, including the time she spent in care.

“So, uh, my mom passed away March 4th, 2026. She was in a home for about 16 months. And since my dad and my twin brother — my twin brother passed away 6 months after my dad — so, for the last 8 years, she’s just, you know, slowly deteriorated.”

Darryl also made it clear that the final stretch of Carol Sammartino’s life was especially difficult, noting that her suffering weighed heavily on the family. Despite the heartbreak, he explained that there was some comfort in knowing she was no longer in pain.

“And she was suffering towards the end. So, it’s — she’s not suffering anymore, which I’m very happy about. That’s it. Nobody deserves that.”

Carol Sammartino played a major role behind the scenes throughout Bruno Sammartino’s historic wrestling career, helping hold the family together while Bruno became one of the most recognizable champions in professional wrestling history. Bruno Sammartino, who passed away in April 2018, remains one of WWE’s most iconic figures, and his family has continued to honor his legacy through events like Bruno Forever.

Carol Sammartino’s passing closes another chapter in the history of the Sammartino family, one that fans have followed for generations alongside Bruno’s legendary career.